Tharsus
Tharsus is an imperial nation in the northwestern Broken Realm, centralized around the rule of King Tharindien the Implacable, that seeks to expand its influence throughout the realm. Built upon a geological shield on the foothills of the Kharos Mountains, it has expanded into the northern central areas beyond, annexing countries through trade or open warfare to become one of the foremost powers in this part of Daeraan. Geography From its early beginnings in the foothills of the imposing Kharos Mountains, Tharsus has grown perhaps more rapidly than any other nation in the wake of the plague of Miserion, dominating the lands beyond the mountains' western face. Five distinct provinces exist, each aiding the growth of the empire through the resources they generate. Gor Kharos Main article: Gor Kharos The easternmost province of Tharsus is located in a mountainous gulch where conditions make agriculture difficult. A thin layer of soil rests upon granite bedrock, much of which becomes exposed during periods of heavy rain or wind. For this reason, the food producing capacity of the province is quite minimal- but it is rich in resources such as stone, ore and precious minerals. Several streams originate from the mountains above, joining into larger waterways and eventually coalescing into the Rhavinon, a mighty river that flows westward out from Gor Kharos through the Pass of Kings. The capital, known as the Iron City, rises above the landscape, built into the mountain upon whose slope it lies. Voz Rhav Main article: Voz Rhav Following the Rhavinon river, the province of Voz Rhav beyond the mountains is the agrarian center, and the original territory, of Tharsus. While its eastern edges are more like its immediate neighbour in that direction, the further west one goes, the more the harsh landscape yields to vast prairies where farming and ranching are practiced in abundance. A network of smaller tributaries joins the Rhavinon as it snakes its way through the grasslands, and many towns are built along the junctions with the main stream. The Heel Main article: The Heel To the southwest, the Heel is the expansion front of Tharsus into the rest of the Broken Realm. Much like Voz Rhav, the Heel boasts arable grasslands, but also wild forests and hilly expanses. The Rhavinon makes its way through the region, swerving to the northwest as it eventually exits Tharsian lands to empty into the fjord of Hallenmar. Desolas Main article: Desolas Northwest Tharsus is made up of a province known as Desolas- despite its unappealing name, the region is rich in natural wonders, especially the massive boreal forests that carpet the landscape, only thinning out as they climb the northern Kharos Mountains. Tharsus has claimed this territory by right, but what few permanent settlements exist here are very small, deterred by the ferocity of the fauna that lives within this wildest of homes. Huincalon Main article: Huincalon To the southeast, Huincalon is a land of foothills and rivers much like Voz Rhav, squeezed between the Kharos Mountains to the east, the Midigari dragonborn lands of Sveargith to the south, and the Empty Lands to the West. Category:Locations in the Broken Realm Category:Locations in Daeraan Category:Locations in Astera Category:Nations Category:Locations Category:Nations in the Broken Realm Category:Developed states